Noteworthy

Luckily, Andy Royston, the photographer behind the popular South Florida social media account @FtLauderdaleSun, is here to help.

After leading his “iPhoneography” workshop in June, the Fort Lauderdale resident—known for taking colorful sunrise photos from the beach every morning—has returned to North Beach Village to teach four other sessions focused on topics including nature and architecture.

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“When we chose our course subjects, we wanted to choose subjects that would be of interest to a wide range of interests,” he said. “In our nature course, I wanted to talk about capturing not only the magnificent flora and fauna we find around us in Florida, but how to plan visits to make the most of the seasons and how to bring out the best in your subjects.”

Two sessions remain in August—vacation (Aug. 6) and food (Aug. 13)—and they’re bound to draw the most interest. After all, who doesn’t want to engage their followers with gorgeous photos of their adventures in Maui or that new must-try dessert on Las Olas?

For Royston, it's no surprise these topics are popular, but as he points out, the way we share content has changed over time.

"In the early days of photo sharing apps like Instagram, food proved to cross language barriers and didn't require too many skills to master the process," he said. "As people's experience of the social aspect of the internet grew, people began to share not only photographs, but tips and [tricks], techniques and recipes. Photos can be a great way to create that illusive viral content."

If you’re looking for a freebie photo tip, consider this: Making your friends wait while you 'Gram your dish can be totally worth it—if you want to capture that perfectly staged shot.

“Dressing the scene makes all the difference," he said.

So, where does a iPhoneography master turn for inspiration on social media? Well, Royston has a few go-to Instagram favorites, such as @ballerinaproject_, “for a wonderful combination of the grace and beauty of ballet with gritty urban settings” and @missjessrose “who goes on such wonderful travels and captures them so evocatively,” he said.

While the accounts undoubtedly offer some stunning shots, we'd be lying if we didn’t say we count @FtLauderdaleSun among our top picks.